Newsletter of the Cascadia Wildlands Project

InsideIssuethis

Summer 2007

Status Quo is Unacceptable

News in Cascadia

Protecting the Chugach

In Focus: Andy Kuss

Keeping the Wild Rogue Wild

Crazy Talk

Spotted Owl Recovery Plan

p 2

p 3

p 4

p 4

p 5

p 6

p 6

QuarterlyCascadia

What a WOPR!BLM Proposes to Trash Oregon Forest Reserves

www.cascwild.org

Western Oregon features some of the best forests in Cascadia. They provide clean drinking water, flood control, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, and jobs in resource management and tourism. Amenities provided by healthy forests attract skilled workers and stimulate local economic development. A new and major threat to low-elevation forests on public land in western Oregon is emerging. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to eliminate 1.5 million acres of protected forest reserves on Oregon and California (O&C) Grant Lands and dedicate them exclusively to timber extraction. The BLM calls its initiative the Western Oregon Plan Revisions. We call it a WOPR (“whopper”). A backroom deal between BLM and the American Forest Resources Council (AFRC), a timber industry group, birthed the WOPR. The AFRC claimed in a lawsuit that the O&C lands are for logging only. Courts twice dismissed the suit because it lacked merit, but George Bush gave it new life by inviting a settlement and ceding everything

industry wanted. The stakes are huge. Fully 20 percent of the remaining old-growth and mature forests in western Oregon would go on the chopping block. Less than 10 percent of historic forests exist in Cascadia after a cut-and-run logging binge in the 20th century. We lost much of our immense forest wealth, and the WOPR would further impoverish the region by converting natural forests into managed tree farms. The WOPR diverges radically from the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan (NFP). The NFP created a forest reserve network to protect habitat, recognizing that the rate and scale of clearcut logging in the 1980s caused fish and wildlife populations to crash toward extinction. BLM reserves are pivotal in the NFP network with their unique

continued on page 3

by Jay Lininger

The BLM’s proposal threatens streamside forests.

James Joh

nston

Hoedown and Auction

Hoedown for Ancient ForestsSaturday, October 6th, 6 pmAvalon Stables, Cottage Grove

Featuring the foot-stompin’ live music of the Conjugal Visitors, square dancing, belly-warming food, and locally-crafted beverages. Info avail-able beginning Sept. 1 at www.cascwild.org or 541.434.1463.

Holiday Benefit AuctionSaturday, December 8th, 6 - 10 pmEMU Ballroom, U of O, Eugene

Join us for a festive evening of live jazz, delicious food, silent and live auctions featuring a Costa Rica vacation, coastal get-aways, outdoor gear, and more.

Cascadia WIldlands ProjectPage 2 summer 2007

The Cascadia Wildlands Project

works to protect and restore the forests, waters, and

wildlife of Cascadia.

StaffDan Kruse

Legal DirectorAndy Kuss

Outreach AssociateDulcie Jantz

Development InternJosh Laughlin

Conservation DirectorQuarterly Editor

Jay LiningerExecutive Director

Kate RitleyDevelopment Director

Quarterly Design and LayoutGabe Scott

Alaska Field Representative

Board of DirectorsAmy Atwood, AAL

Jason BlazarLinda Carnine, PhDJim Flynn, President

Jeremy HallJeff Long

Pam Reber, Secretary

Contact UsHeadquarters:PO Box 10455

Eugene, OR 97440541.434.1463

info@cascwild.org

Alaska Field Office:PO Box 853

Cordova, AK 99574907.424.3835

gscott@cascwild.org

www.cascwild.org

Status Quo Is UnacceptableRamblings from the Executive Director As a biologist and wildland firefighter in a federal agency, I saw first hand the difficulties encountered by land managers seeking to do the right thing by communities and ecosys-tems under a presidential administration bent on suppressing science for political objectives. I joined the Cascadia Wildlands Project to im-prove forest policy, empower land managers to apply science and benefit wild places and rural communities. So it was with delight that I accompanied our Conservation Director, Josh Laughlin, and friends from the Klamath-Siskiyou Wild-lands Center and Oregon Wild in June for a week on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. We exchanged ideas with policymakers on topics ranging from forest restoration to fire pre-paredness, all in pursuit of goals identified by our board of directors and strategic plan. An opportunity to realize big improvements in forest policy emerged with the Democratic sweep of the 2006 election. The Bush admin-istration now gets withering scrutiny of its efforts to accelerate industrial plunder of our treasured forest legacy. Moreover, U.S. Sena-tor Gordon Smith (R-OR) faces election in 2008, and he will have to facilitate rather than block conservation to earn another six years in office. But none of that will stop Bush from trying to leave his mark. The forthcoming Western Oregon Plan Revisions and new rules affecting northern spotted owl (see page 6) pose major threats to wild forests in Cascadia. Our campaign strategies respond with organizing, policy advocacy and litigation to neutralize those threats and will produce substantial gains in the coming few years. Some activists disagree with our approach and will bash new forest legislation even if it achieves net gains for conservation. They should remain mindful that the status quo is both unacceptable and ephemeral. It is unacceptable because irreplaceable old forests continue to be sold to the timber industry. We invest substantial resources in public education and expensive litigation because cur-rent policy does not protect old forests. We are effective in holding the line most of the time, but incremental losses continue to mount, and it’s time to move on.The status quo is ephemeral because of the very bad and strategically devious administration initiatives named above. Without legislation that permanently protects old forests and redirects agency management to thinning of young man-aged plantations, the new reality, which could outlive the next administration, will be far worse than what we know now. The Cascadia Wildlands Project is committed to securing protection for old forests and promoting restoration of degraded lands based on defensible science. Where we see opportunities to advance those goals, with your support, we will work to realize them instead of sit and rationalize the status quo.

Josh Laughlin and Jay Lininger spent a week in D.C. meeting

with policymakers.

www.cascwild.orgsummer 2007 Page 3

News in CascadiaFive Buttes Logging Targets East-ern Slope of Oregon’s CascadesThe Forest Service recently authorized the Five Buttes Project, a 4,235 acre timber sale in the Crescent Ranger Dis-trict of the Deschutes National Forest. Sitting just east of the Cascade Crest, the Five Buttes Project area is predomi-nantly high elevation mixed-conifer for-est and is home to bald eagles, golden eagles, spotted owls, herds of elk and mule deer, and loads of other wildlife.

While parts of the project area have been logged in the past and may benefit from some restoration work, the For-est Service has proposed to heavily log other areas that are healthy and beau-tiful forests. The Cascadia Wildlands Project has provided detailed comment on the proposal and will continue to monitor it closely. Black Crater Post-fire Timber Sale Temporarily HaltedOn June 29, a federal judge granted the CWP a temporary restraining order against the Black Crater logging proj-ect, preventing the Forest Service from auctioning or awarding the timber sale until our legal claims are heard more fully. The Black Crater logging proj-ect, near Sisters, Oregon, was planned after the 2006 Black Crater Fire, and would log all but six dead trees per acre across 201 acres of old-growth reserves and critical habitat for the spotted owl. While our fight to protect the fragile but vibrant landscape is far from over, this initial victory is a great step in the right direction. The preliminary injunction hearing is set for August 2.

Thorn Post-fire Project Planned in Malheur National ForestAs forest advocates across the Pacific Northwest are still recovering from

the devastation created by the massive Biscuit timber sale in southwest Or-egon, the Forest Service has proposed a sequel. This time, the setting is in eastern Oregon’s Malheur National Forest, southeast of Dayville near Al-drich Mountain. The Thorne Project was planned after the Shake-Table fire burned in the summer of 2006 and pro-poses logging over 41 million board feet of timber from more than 3,900 acres of national forest lands. The Cascadia Wildlands Project and allies in east-ern Oregon have submitted extensive comments and continue to monitor this project closely.

Governor Kulongoski Signs Cou-gar Hounding Bill Into LawOn June 27, Governor Ted Kulongoski signed HB 2971 into law, re-instating hound hunting of cougars in Oregon. The law essentially overturns Mea-sure 18, a 1994 voter-approved ban on hounding of big cats, by permitting the Oregon Department of Fish and Wild-life (ODFW) to deputize citizen hunters to implement the Department’s Cougar Management Plan. That plan calls for killing nearly 2,000 cougars across the state. The plan is based on a manufac-tured fear of cougars and a false claim that the Oregon’s big cats are decimat-ing wild ungulate populations.

Ponderosa pine in the Five Buttes logging project area.

concentration of old forests below 3,000 feet in elevation. They sustain crucial habitat corridors for dispersal of threatened wildlife between the Cascades and the Coast Range as well as fresh water refuges for endangered salmon and steelhead. Eliminating those reserves will cause significant losses of habitat and irreversible declines in biological diversity. Some western Oregon county governments want the WOPR. The 1937 O&C Act entitled them to 50 percent of timber sale receipts from affected lands. That worked well for decades as foresters steadily increased the cut. Federal payments continued instead of receipts after the timber program crashed, but will expire in

2008. Facing cuts in services and jobs, elected leaders of Jackson, Josephine, Curry and Douglas Counties openly advocate an old-growth logging revival. There is a better way forward. More than half of the O&C lands are tree farms that need thinning to restore wildlife habitat and mitigate fire hazard. Over two billion board feet of timber available in plantations could support diminished but stable county payments and a smarter, leaner timber industry in rural Oregon. Pending legislation in Congress would require BLM to thin plantations, like the U.S. Forest Service does now, and leave old forests alone for future generations to enjoy. Please get involved! A draft environmental impact statement for

WOPR continued from page 1the WOPR will circulate for public comment for 90 days from August to November. For more information, visit www.oregonheritageforests.org.

1.5 million acres of old-growth reserves in western Oregon are at risk.

Cascadia WIldlands ProjectPage 4 summer 2007

Protecting the ChugachAlliance Forms at National Forest’s Centennial

I love this time of year in Alaska. The fish are in on the Copper River, bring-ing yet another record-breaking year of fishing. The flush of fish brings people too, bringing wads of money to spend and excitement to our little town of Cordova. This brief explosion of energy is enough to last through the winter and until next year. These wild salmon, and the tour-ists they attract, are living proof that conservation pays. If you protect the watershed and live within its means, the land provides a living. This year we are giving special

thanks for this legacy to President Teddy Roosevelt and his forester, Gif-ford Pinchot, who established this area as the Chugach National Forest exactly 100 years ago, on July 23, 1907. Pinchot and Roosevelt had just seen what unchecked greed did to the frontier in the Oregon territory. They saw vast forests cleared without heed for water or soil quality. They noticed wealth from the binge did not accrue for the noble pioneers, but was export-ed to Wall Street speculators. They also knew how easily frontier politicians were bought off by the big trusts. The Klondike Gold Rush had just happened, and Alaska was being dis-covered as the Last Frontier. Roosevelt and Pinchot were determined to con-serve what they could of the American West and prevent the same mistakes from happening in the North. Their response was a revolutionary ideology: Conservation. Originally, the whole of south-central Alaska, the northern end of Cascadia’s rainforest, was conceived as Wild Salmon Park. They knew forests, fish, and visitors were an intercon-nected and sustainable system. Even-tually they settled on a Forest Reserve system, Pinchot’s small staff drew up maps, and the Chugach and Tongass National Forests were created. Their legacy is a blessing, and a responsibility. Where Roosevelt and Pinchot held off the big trusts and

Earlier this year, our small organi-zation grew a little bit bigger but a lot more effective with the hire of Out-reach Associate Andy Kuss. Andy sees his job and his civic duties as one and the same. Whether he’s encouraging folks to become members of the orga-nization or helping kids color cards for Senator Wyden, his work enables com-munity members to participate directly in the democratic process. Andy grew up in Ohio and earned his degree in Geology at Miami Univer-

In Focus: Andy Kusssity. He’s new to Oregon, but is quick-ly exploring the spectacular landscapes of our region. From his perspective, a guitar is “essential gear” for any camp-ing trip. His favorite campfire tunes include Angel from Montgomery and Rollin’ in my Sweet Baby’s Arms. If you see “the Doug” (our slice of old-growth Douglas fir mounted on a trailer) at a community event this year, be sure and stop by to say hello to Andy. He’s always happy to see a Cascadia Wildlands supporter!

-Kate Ritley

by Gabe Scott unscrupulous pioneers, it falls on our generation to conserve this land amidst forces like global climate change, oil spills, and hordes of tourists. That is why the Cascadia Wildlands Project is a founding member, together

with Alaska Center for the Environ-ment, Sierra Club, Trustees for Alaska, National Wildlife Federation and the Wilderness Society, of a group call-ing itself the Chugach Alliance. Our mission is to use the centennial to achieve lasting protections for the next hundred years. We’ve hired a coordina-tor, and through a series of centennial meetings with stakeholders in Alaska’s remote communities, we are building a grassroots proposal. A hundred years from now, we hope our children’s children’s children can celebrate another centennial with their own wild salmon barbeque.

Andy enjoys a day at the Oregon coast.

South-central Alaska’s temperate rainforests and glacier-capped peaks.

Bre

tt C

ole

www.cascwild.orgsummer 2007 Page 5

Located in the heart of the Siskiyou Mountains is the largest forested road-less area the Bureau of Land Manage-ment (BLM) administers in the country. It is here on the Lower Rogue River, too, that we are not only fighting to stave off a horrible BLM timber sale, but also actively advancing a proposal that will forever safeguard this unpro-tected swath of rugged, wild country. For years the Medford BLM, aided and abetted by the US Fish and Wild-life Service, has been trying to push through the Kelsey-Whisky timber sale, an aggressive logging proposal that would log the heart out the Zane Grey roadless area, named after the famed author who resided in a mining claim cabin and wrote on the banks of the river in the early 1900s. In Rogue River Feud, he described the natural destruc-tion that had already occurred to the Rogue in the early part of the century. He’d be rolling in his grave over the current logging proposal. The 1,400-acre Kelsey Whisky timber sale has hit a few legal snags over the years and has yet to be cut. The bio-logical opinions issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Service have consistently been found illegal by the courts or have been yanked due to legal vulnerability. A biological opinion is required by the

Endangered Species Act to prove the logging project won’t jeopardize the ex-istence of an endangered species, in this case, the threatened northern spotted owl. The agency has had a tough time proving a massive logging project in an old growth forest and designated “criti-cal habitat” for the owl is a good thing for the species. As the US Fish and Wildlife Service continues to reshuffle its paperwork, the Cascadia Wildlands Project is work-ing with allies in the region to advance a proposal that will create a Congressio-nally designated 58,000-acre Wilder-ness in the unprotected roadless area and also establish 98 miles of additional miles of Wild and Scenic River corri-dors along many of the Lower Rogue’s cold, clear tributary creeks, like Kelsey, Whisky, Mule and others. These unpro-tected creeks give way to ideal spawn-ing habitat for endangered fish runs like Chinook salmon, of which the Lower Rogue is famous for. Part of our coalition effort has been to secure business endorsers for the campaign. To date, we have 50 busi-nesses on board, all of which have a vested interested in a healthy Lower Rogue River. This show of support will play a pivotal role in Congress’ ability to move the proposal forward. Rep. Peter

Keeping the Wild Rogue WildCoalition Moves Forward with Protection Effort by Josh Laughlin

DeFazio (D-OR), whose district encom-passes the Lower Rogue River, is a key target in our effort. As business endorsements build, we have also experienced other showings of support. On June 27, local acclaimed author John Daniel joined us at an outreach presentation we hosted at the Eugene Public Library. He opened up the 70-person event with readings from his recently published work, Rogue River Journal: A Winter Alone. The award-winning book documents a re-cent winter he spent in a secluded cabin on the Lower Rogue, reflecting and writing about his life and his experience on the river’s edge. As we continue to educate the public about issues facing the Wild Rogue and building business endorsers, we main-tain a staunch opposition to the Kelsey-Whisky timber sale and will pull out all the stops to halt this ill-advised project. Contact us to get involved in the cam-pain, 541.434.1463, or find out more about the effort at www.savethewil-drogue.org. TAKE ACTION: Contact Represen-tative Peter DeFazio today to voice your support for Wilderness protections and Wild and Scenic River additions for the Lower Rogue, 405 East 8th Ave. #2030 Eugene, OR 97401; (541) 465-6732.

Rafting the Rogue River.

Rolf Skar

The wild Rogue River

Cascadia WIldlands ProjectPage 6 summer 2007

Holiday Auction GoodsPolitics Trump Science in Spotted Owl Recovery

In April, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a draft recovery plan for threatened northern spotted owl. Indepen-dent scientists invited by the agency to work on the plan say that high ranking Bush admin-istration officials overruled their consensus recommenda-tions and issued a different

plan in political service to the timber industry. Dominick DellaSala, a forest ecologist with the National Center for Conservation Science and Policy, participated on the science panel and told Congress that his group found the existing system of habitat reserves under the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) to be the most credible basis for owl recovery. However, he testified that Bush officials insisted on building more “flexibility” into the recovery plan and refused to adopt scientists’ findings. It just so happens that the recovery plan coincides with the Western Oregon Plan Revisions, which would eliminate 90 percent of NFP habitat reserves from Bureau of Land Management forests. Option 2 of the recovery plan would give federal agencies discretion to “manage” owl habitat without committing to protect any reserves, let alone identify them on a map.

— Jay Lininger

Now That’s Crazy Talk!“If we’re going to ramp down the formula we need to ramp up the timber harvest… I’d like to go back to the old fashioned way of manag-ing our lands and providing jobs.” - U.S. Senator Gor-don Smith (R-OR) on federal payments to Oregon coun-ties at a July 2 meeting with local officials and business leaders in Gold Beach, as quoted by the Curry County Reporter.

Cascadia responds: Oregonians should not have to choose between the re-maining old forests on public lands and essential county government services including public health, road main-tenance and law enforcement. For decades, rural counties

received a percentage of receipts from federal timber sales in lieu of property taxes. By 1989, county budgets swelled and services proliferated because logging in old forests had become so reckless that wildlife popu-lations plummeted toward extinction. Legacies of this short-sighted indulgence include impaired watersheds, endangered fisheries, and a busted timber economy that overshot the limits of its natural resources. It is realistic to expect timber payments to counties at diminished but stable levels. It is realistic to expect active forest management that creates many more jobs in the woods than currently exist. However, Sen. Smith’s fantasies of turning back the clock and “ramping up” log-ging in older forests are wildly irresponsible. The social license for old forest logging ended a long time ago. Our common duty is to identify appropriate restoration thin-ning projects that benefit watersheds and generate wood products without compounding mistakes of the past.

Funds raised at our Holiday Auction sustain us throughout the year. We invite you to contribute to this festive event! Please consider donating your art, profes-sional services, cabin/condo vacation, or other wonderful items to be auctioned off. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. You will be recognized in auction literature and on our website for your gener-osity. To inquire about donating and to make arrange-ments, please contact Kate at 541.434.1463 or kritley@cascwild.org. And remember to mark your calendar for the Holiday Auction on December 8th from 6 - 10 pm at the EMU Ballroom, U of O, Eugene.

With her recent departure, we want to express our deep grati-tude to Megan Kemple, who has served on our board over the past few years. Before joining the board, Megan was a five-star volunteer. She continued her volunteerism and expanded her leadership role after joining the board, mostly as an unparalleled food coordinator at our fundraising events, and also as the treasurer of the organiza-tion. Megan’s attention to fiscal detail has educated us all and has greatly assisted the growth of the organization. Fortunate-ly, she will remain involved in an advisory role, and you’re likely to see her at future events. Thanks Megan!

Comings and Goings

www.cascwild.orgsummer 2007 Page 7

Leave a Legacy for CascadiaThe Cascadia Wildlands Project has a combined vision of protection and restoration for Cascadia’s public lands. We invite you to leave a legacy for Cascadia’s wild places by including the Cascadia Wildlands Project in your estate plans. We can help you plan a bequest or other deferred gift. To learn more, please call or write Kate at 541.434.1463, kritley@cascwild.org, or PO Box 10455, Eugene, OR 97440. We look forward to working with you to create a lasting environmental legacy!

444S FoundationAcorn FoundationAlaska Conservation FoundationBen & Jerry’s FoundationBurning FoundationCharlotte Martin FoundationDeer Creek FoundationDillard FoundationEmerald Valley KitchenFund for Wild NatureFurthur FoundationGet Fried RiceJubitz Family FoundationLaird Norton FoundationMazamasMcKenzie River Gathering FoundationMeyer Memorial TrustT

HA

NK

Y

OU

! Thank you to all of our new and continuing members and the many volunteers who help us protect wild places! Huge thanks to the foundations, businesses, and groups who have recently supported our work:

Mountaineers FoundationMountain Rose HerbsNinkasi Brewing CompanyNorcross Wildlife FoundationOregon Community FoundationPacific Tree Climbing InstitutePatagoniaPaul’s Bicycle Way of LifeRalph Smith FoundationResist, Inc.Richard and Rhoda Goldman FundRing of Fire RestaurantRiver JewelrySperling FoundationStrong FoundationTitcomb FoundationWhole Systems Foundtion

Home Sweet HomeIf you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it... and we’re asking for a house! This is not a make-or-break need, but it would sure make our work to protect wild places a lot easier and more effective!

Right now five staff members are packed into a 600-square-foot, one-room office. Frequently two people are on the phone, two are meet-ing together, and one is trying to concentrate on writing a legal brief amidst the noise and chaos of so many conversations. You can imag-ine how challenging this can be.

A 3-bedroom house would provide quiet, private working space for our staff, with common areas for conferences, meetings, volunteer potlucks, and small slideshows.

If you could donate a house, donate a down payment, offer reduced rent in your investment property, or help in any other way, please contact Executive Director Jay Lininger at jlininger@cascwild.org or 541.434.1463. Donations are tax-deductible. Thank you!

Printed on recycled paper!

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDEugene OR

Permit No. 82

Cascadia Wildlands ProjectPO Box 10455 • Eugene, OR 97440

What a WOPR: BLM Proposes to Trash Forest Reserves

Protecting the Chugach: Alaska Alliance Forms at Forest Centennial

Keeping the Rogue Wild: Wilderness Efforts Gain Traction

Annual Hoedown for Ancient Forests and Holiday Auction:

Mark your Calendars for October 6th and December 8th!

InsidethisIssueSummer 2007

A red check means it’s time to renew your membership! Thank you for your

ongoing support for wild places!

Hikes and EventsVisit some of Oregon’s last wild public lands with those who know them, and the threats they face, best! Sponsored by the Cascadia Wildlands Project and Oregon Wild. For details and to RSVP, please contact Josh at 541.434.1463 or jlaughlin@cascwild.org.

Saturday, August 25th: South Waldo LakeHike one of several loops on the south end of beautiful Waldo Lake and learn about recent developments in efforts to preserve the Waldo lake wilderness experience. Hike is moderate to strenuous, about 8 miles.

Saturday, Sept. 22nd: Drift Creek WildernessFew know that there is Wilderness in the lush Oregon Coast Range, but Drift Creek is a gem to be discovered. We’ll hike along the Horse Creek Trail and discuss management of the surrounding public and private lands. Hike is moderate to strenuous, about 6 miles.

Saturday, October 13th: McKenzie HeadwatersWe’ll complete the loop around Clear Lake’s crystal waters through unique geology, old-growth forests, and stunning fall colors. Hike is moderate, 6 miles, pretty flat.

Saturday, October 20th: BLM Old-GrowthHidden away on small pieces of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and surrounded by clear-cuts are some of the oldest and biggest trees in Oregon. Explore some of these hidden treasures and learn about threats to BLM old-growth forests on this fall trip into little-known but spectacular old-growth stands. Hike is easy to moderate: 1 to 3 miles with very little elevation gain.

Visit our new website!

www.cascwild.org